Jane Austen is recognized as one of the most famous writers of all time for the list of works she wrote during the Victorian era, most notably, her “Pride and Prejudice.” Abraham Lincoln, one of our most famed Presidents, was known to have a number of written works that today can be bought and viewed. Keep these two authors in mind as this idea is presented; could one take these two classic and beyond realistic stories and turn them into epic stories based off the supernatural?

If asking Seth Grahame-Smith this question, he would most probably answer yes.

His first work, titled, “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” is a paranormal spin off of Austen’s renowned novel. The story is classic, two characters, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, who fall in love despite unlikely circumstances and feelings, all amidst the chaos created by other characters around them. So why not add zombies to the mix?

The story and characters are the same, save now they are in a world where zombie attacks are as frequent as the daily mail and the profession of being a zombie killer is one everyone holds.

Smith’s work gained a wave of praise. Entertainment Weekly wrote, “The 21st-century screenwriter has taken the merry world established by a 19th-century literary lady, added a scourge of reanimated corpses, and created…well, a pop cultural phenomenon, certainly, and one that has stirred up a lot of excitement,” as well as giving it an A- grade of review. It was long after until the unlikely classic was scheduled to go to the big screens.

Natalie Portman is set to both produce and star in it and, according to recent news, the director is set to be Craig Gillespie. The book made such a name for itself that it had was followed up by a prequel, “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls,” (detailing Elizabeth’s life before Darcy) and a sequel as well, “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After,” (how the couple fair as newlyweds in their zombie world).

Next is “Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter.” The book focuses on a set of secret diary the president held, detailing not only the actions he performed in his life but of those that entailed hunting down and killing vampires threatening to destroy the balance of the human world. The Los Angeles Times wrote, “…a writer who can transform the greatest figure from 19th century American history into the star of an original vampire tale with humor, heart and bite is a rare find indeed.”

This novel, as well, gained so much popularity and money that it was decided to make it into a feature film. It is to be directed by Timur Bekmambetov and star Benjamin Walker and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as the Lincoln couple.

Ben H. Winters followed Seth’s peculiar trend by creating “Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters.” Like that of the remake of Austen’s other novel, this work twists around the world of the Dashwood Sisters (looking for love and statuses in their Victorian world) by making it inhabited by dangerous and abnormal sea monsters who sometimes mate with humans and create dual species babies. “…instead of destroying the integrity of Austen’s subtle romance, Winters’ mysterious chanting natives, sea-witch curses, and undersea habitats move the story into a gothic realm,” wrote the AV Club who gave it an A- grading as well. 

Some think it impossible to remake a classic or touch it in any way. And in most cases, they would be correct. But if done in such a ridiculous way, so ridiculous that it’s actually brilliant, an author can prove that twisting a classic tale can prove to be quite successful, all through the help of zombies, vampires and sea monsters to boot.